(※1) This is a service that offers discounted rates through long-term contracts. Prices for “Matome-Toku” may vary depending on campaigns and other factors. “Matome-Toku” requires a lump-sum prepayment for the entire usage period. Monthly installment payments are not available. Please note that cancellations during the usage period are not accepted. If not renewed, the server will be deleted upon the end of the contract period.
(※2) As of February 2025, based on “SSL Survey by Hosting Country” by UK-based Netcraft, according to paid SSL certification authority roots.
【Background of the Offering】
In recent years, cybercrimes such as phishing scams have become increasingly sophisticated and diverse, leading to a rapid rise in Internet-related incidents. As a result, the adoption of “Always On SSL,” which encrypts data exchanged between websites and users, is strongly recommended as a security measure.
In addition, major browser vendors are advancing security measures based on encrypted communications, and today, the implementation of SSL server certificates (※3) has effectively become a mandatory requirement for publishing websites.
“ConoHa byGMO” has already been offering “AlphaSSL” free of charge under certain plans of the ultra-fast rental server “ConoHa WING.” In pursuit of building a safer and more secure Internet society, we have decided to expand this offering to “ConoHa VPS.”
(※3) An SSL server certificate is a “digital certificate” used to encrypt data exchanged between a website and its users. It is formally referred to as an “SSL/TLS server certificate.”
【About “AlphaSSL”】
“AlphaSSL” is a highly reliable SSL server certificate provided by GMO GlobalSign. It encrypts all data communications, including sensitive information such as personal data, enabling secure communication. By displaying a padlock icon in the browser, it visually indicates to site visitors that the connection is secure.
General free SSL services often automate the certificate issuance process, and there are reports that such certificates are frequently used by phishing sites (※4). In contrast, “AlphaSSL” issues certificates through strict screening using blacklists, serving as proof that the service is not used for malicious purposes. Users can verify the safety of a website by checking the issued certificate information directly on the site.
(※4) Based on data from Netcraft (UK):
Let's Encrypt and Comodo issue thousands of certificates for phishing
【Overview of “AlphaSSL” Provision in “ConoHa VPS”】
When you subscribe to ConoHa VPS under the long-term discount service “Matome-Toku (URL: https://www.conoha.jp/vps/discountticket/
)” with a plan of 3 months or longer, you can enjoy the following benefits.
① “AlphaSSL,” equivalent to ¥6,600 per year (tax included), is available free of charge (※5). This is also available free of charge to customers who are already using Matome-Toku plans of 3 months or longer.
② Even if you apply for multiple “AlphaSSL” certificates, all of them can be used free of charge.
③ As long as you maintain a Matome-Toku contract of 3 months or longer, renewal fees will also be free.
(※5) When applying under hourly billing or under a 1-month Matome-Toku plan, the fee will be ¥6,600 per year (tax included).
【Differences Between AlphaSSL and General Free SSL】
| AlphaSSL | General Free SSL | |
|---|---|---|
| Provider | GMO GlobalSign (Japan) | Overseas |
| Encryption Level | 256-bit | 256-bit |
| Authentication Method | Page authentication / Domain authentication / DNS authentication | Domain authentication |
| Issuance Speed | Same day | Same day |
| Validity Period | 1 year | 3 months |
| Reliability | High | Standard |
| Cost | Regular price: ¥6,600/year → Free forever with “Matome-Toku” (3 months or longer) | Free |
| Recommended Users | From individuals to businesses | Mainly for individuals |
【What is “ConoHa VPS”?】
“ConoHa VPS” is a VPS service provided by GMO Internet, Inc. under “ConoHa byGMO,” which has over 750,000 registered accounts (※6). It features an intuitive control panel and a wide range of templates tailored to different use cases, making it easy and safe to use even for beginners. In addition, it adopts the latest CPUs and ultra-fast NVMe SSDs (※7) to deliver a high-performance server environment. It also employs a distributed storage architecture (※8) and comes standard with an automatic failover (HA) function (※9), ensuring a highly available environment. Furthermore, there are no initial costs, and there are absolutely no charges for data transfer. We offer two pricing options: a “pay-as-you-go hourly billing type” that allows usage on an hourly basis, and the long-term discount service “Matome-Toku,” which provides discounted rates through long-term contracts, enabling you to start using the service at minimal cost whenever needed.
(※6) As of April 30, 2025.
(※7) NVMe SSD is a storage device with extremely fast data read/write speeds. By adopting the communication protocol “NVMe,” which is optimized for SSDs, it enables low-latency and high-throughput access compared to conventional SATA SSDs.
(※8) A system that distributes and stores data across multiple nodes to prevent data loss even in the event of hardware failure.
(※9) Even if the host server accommodating the virtual server experiences a physical failure, the system automatically migrates to another host server and reconstructs the same environment. This minimizes the impact of failures and ensures stable server operation.
【About “ConoHa byGMO”】
(URL: https://www.conoha.jp/ )
“ConoHa byGMO” is a hosting service provided by GMO Internet Group, which boasts the No.1 hosting market share in Japan (※10). It offers a wide range of services tailored to customer needs, including “ConoHa WING,” the fastest rental server in Japan (※11) ideal for blogs and website creation; “ConoHa VPS,” which allows flexible server customization and configuration; “ConoHa for Windows Server” for users who require a Windows OS; “ConoHa for GAME” for game users with free game templates; and “ConoHa AI Canvas,” which enables full-scale AI image generation directly from a browser.
With no initial costs and a strong focus on simplicity and ease of use, the service is designed for everyone—from first-time server users to individual business owners and enterprises.
(※10) Market share is calculated based on ipinfo.io. ipinfo.io is a website operated by IDB LLC that provides geolocation and other information associated with IP addresses.
(※11) As of February 2025, based on our research. Among the top 10 services with over 90% market share in Japan, the average server processing speed of the lowest-tier plan of each service was measured five times using load testing tools “Apache Bench” and “h2load,” and compared. Market share in Japan is calculated based on Webhosting.info and DomainTools.
